Tax hikes on health care in Baucus plan

Nice. Raise taxes on people who have good plans. "Spread the wealth around".

Quote:

It's not every day that you hear a Democratic senator charge that a fellow Democrat is proposing to raise taxes on the middle class, but that is what happened on Tuesday when Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., ripped into the health-care bill developed by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mt., the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

The Baucus proposal would impose, starting in 2013, a 35 percent excise tax on insurance companies for "high-cost plans" -- defined as those above $8,000 for individuals and $21,000 for family plans.

Health economists believe a tax on high-priced benefits could help slow the growth of health costs by making consumers more sensitive to prices.

The tax contemplated by Baucus is also a big revenue raiser. It is expected to raise $200 billion, money that Baucus is hoping to use to pay for subsidies for the uninsured.

And of course, the way to 'make consumers more sensitive to prices' cannot be allowing actual markets...it's by using the govt to force some to pay more in taxes.Why does every solution have to involve govt force?

Nice. Raise taxes on people who have good plans. "Spread the wealth around".

And of course, the way to 'make consumers more sensitive to prices' cannot be allowing actual markets...it's by using the govt to force some to pay more in taxes.Why does every solution have to involve govt force?

And of course, the way to 'make consumers more sensitive to prices' cannot be allowing actual markets...it's by using the govt to force some to pay more in taxes.Why does every solution have to involve govt force?

Oh crap! As an evil Capitalist, I totally overlooked the really cool idea of making my customers pay me a penalty for not buying from me rather than just "encouraging" them to buy from me using my marketing strategies.

We evil Capitalists have a lot to learn from our wonderful public servants who only have our best interests in mind... except, wait a minute! How could our public servants be so honest and good when they're the ones who thought up this wonderfully evil way to take money away from people.
I've got to go to a quiet place and think about this.

From what I saw yesterday, Ol' Max couldn't even get another senator to come out to the podium with him while he announced the plan. I don't think his stone will gather any moss, it's not even going to roll.

Lot's of brave talk from 'healthy' young men on here - see you again in thirty years or so - wonder if you'll have the same song sheet on the go (doubt it somehow)!

I would say brave talk from sensible men. Who can get behind something that we cannot afford?? We NEED a plan but we also need one that will work and one we can afford. We also need one that will work from the begining with our current shortage of doctors and infrastructure. None of the dem plans even consider this.